Memories of Unlucky Sons
by magiciscalling
Summary: One day during the disappearance of Camp Jupiter's Praetor Grace, Frank Zhang discovers a mysterious book after three gorgons attack one of their suppliers. Commanded by the humble god himself, Apollo, Reyna gathers the entirety of the camp together to sit-down and discover the mystery of The Titan's Curse. Post The Last Hero, Pre The Son of Neptune. All rights go to Rick Riordan.
1. Curiosity Brings You a Stern Message

**DISCLAIMER: I don't in any way, shape, or form, own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

There was an odd chill in the air in Camp Jupiter that day. Of course, things have always been different since their Praetor disappeared, a lack of leadership that Praetor Grace brought to the camp, intermingled with a sense of goodwill that all leaders need to have. It's been almost eight months since he's disappeared and many have given up the search.

Reyna was…Reyna. She was an excellent leader, no doubt, but she wasn't Jason. She had a harshness about her, one anyone with a tragic past possesses.

Vitellius's voice boomed all over camp, announcing the arrival of one of their suppliers. After all, bloodthirsty Romans had to eat. The supplier, a water nymph, was clumsily swimming across the Little Tiber, water staining dark blue when she passed.

"I-I was ambushed by gorgons on my way back. They attacked me and offered small hotdogs!" she gasped.

Everyone was so startled by her appearance that it took a few moments before one of the medics tugged Phoebe forward and healed her with crushed unicorn horn powder. After she was placed safely in the infirmary, Frank noticed her blue wristlet, which had begun glowing. Biting his lip, he cautiously unhooked the clasps and surprisingly, a single blue book tumbled out of the glowing wristlet. His eyes widened and rushed forward to grab the book.

Running over to the praetor houses, he burst through the front door after a quick knock.

"Reyna!"

"What do you want?" Reyna asked, absorbed in some paperwork.

"I found this in the water nymph's wristlet, it seems to be some sort of book but nothing like I've ever seen in a Barnes and Nobles."

"Of what manner is this book?"

"I don't know, but from the cover and title it looks like fantasy adventure or something."

Reyna gingerly grasped the dark blue cover, and opened the cover carefully, as though it contained a bomb. A small slip of paper fluttered out.

 _Praetor of Camp Jupiter,_

 _Please realize that every being in the camp's life is_ _at crossroads._

 _Many lives depend on you to_ _put your pride aside and do what is_ _right for your people._

 _This volume contains some prerequisite information_ _you need to make your decision, including background on a guest of yours._

 _Read with the rest of your_ _community, and do not let past prejudices affect_ _your decision._

 _Remember what happened to hot water nymph today?_

 _That will increase by millionfold. Your peaceful well-being will be jeopardized unless you follow my instructions._

 _I will pay you a visit soon._

 _Sternly,_

 _Phoebus Apollo_

"What do we do now?" Frank asked, stunned at the message from the god.

Reyna stared at him as though she could not believe how astonishingly dense he could be.

"We read the book just like the message said." Her face had a _duh_ expression on it.

"Go gather everyone at the Senate House."

 **A/N: So this time period is close to when Percy is about to wake up with no memories. If y'all really like this, I would appreciate the feedback on what I need to do and improve on. I'll update this story weekly since I still have exams but will do it more often over the summer. I already have the beginnings up chapter two but anything helps!**


	2. Flickering Into the Past

**DISCLAIMER: I don't in any way, shape, or form, own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

"So, how'd you like it here? With the Fifth Cohort and all your training and activities, you must be pretty worn out." An olive-skinned boy said.

Hazel yawned and nodded. "It's pretty nice here. I love my new home in the Fifth Cohort but I think we're the laughing stock of the camp. We always lose the war games and our commanding officer is drunk on Kool-Aid."

She looked to her brother, Nico di Angelo. "I wish I could work with the unicorns more. It would definitely beat organizing the weapon rooms and cleaning the bathrooms." She shuddered.

Nico's lips quirked upward in a small smile before quickly transforming back into his usual frown. "Well, all that matters is that you got to have a new start, fresh. No one knows about your past, about the mistakes and accomplishments that made the person you were back then."

Hazel's surroundings flickered around her and she could feel the pull of the bitter cold memories of her past. She ground her fingernails into the hard obsidian of Pluto's temple. The flickering ceased. "At the very least, you're safe Bia- I mean Hazel. You're safe."

Hazel winced, remembering that she wasn't really Nico's sister, but was more of a consolation prize after he failed to recover Bianca in the Underworld that fateful day. The sound of a horn broke her train of thoughts, and she suddenly stood up in a panic.

"We have a meeting tonight! Oh my gods, I completely forgot about it!" She broke off into a sprint and quickly turned around to say good-bye, but all that remained was the obsidian and bones of dead creatures.

'

'

LINE BREAK

'

'

"Citizens of Camp Jupiter,", announced Reyna dramatically, as Frank helped to gather everyone to the Senate house. "We have recently received a message from the Apollo the god himself. He has given us important instructions and advice for the future of our home and the people in it."

Upon hearing this, everyone scrambled into the Senate house. They were all seated in an orderly fashion in the dome shaped house, whispering amongst themselves about what possibly could've invoked the influence of Apollo. The seats were narrow at the bottom and wider at the top, so it enabled everyone to hear loud enough, but of course that still didn't help the people in the Fifth Cohort, who were forced to sit at the top, where you can barely see nor hear the speaker.

"So", began Reyna, "Frank Zhang of the Fifth Cohort discovered a message from inside a book that was sent from Apollo at our camp today. It seems that–"

She was interrupted by Hazel, curly hair wildly spilling over her shoulders and her cheeks wet with sweat and tinted magenta, as she ran into the Senate House.

"I-I got-got caught up-", she breathed out, trying to catch her breath, but stopped at the look on Reyna's face.

Reyna shot Hazel a reproachful look.

"Yes, Reyna.", managed Hazel as she walked up the steps and found a seat next to Frank, with all eyes on her, some snickering to each other about her tardiness.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted", Reyna began again while everyone retracted their attention back on the speaker, "We have a problem here at camp today. Our water nymph Phoebe has been ambushed today, and when searching her belongings, a single book along with a note from the god Apollo was found.

Everyone turned their heads to Frank, with questioning glances and suggestive raised eyebrows, causing Frank's face to heat up.

"The book", Reyna said while holding up the book with the dark blue cover, "Contains a letter from Apollo with dire warnings about our camp's future."

She related the contents of the letter to the listeners in the Senate House, but instead of being in awe, they all stared at her, dumbfounded by what the letter had said.

"So, are we gonna read the book or what?", asked a voice from the shadowy corner of the Senate House. It was a boy the camp had all seen before and didn't trust. He was about the age of thirteen, wearing a loose fitted black t-shirt with a white skull on it, an oversized aviator jacket, and oversized black jeans. With long black hair that fell over his eyes, olive skin, gaunt dark eyes, the look suited him quite well.

"Nico", replied Reyna curtly. "I've been expecting you. Thank you for coming here on such short notice, would you please take a seat."

Nico nodded, and simply slumped to the floor and leaned against the wall. Some of the other senior campers muttered and shook their heads at the sight.

"Now, "Reyna continued. "To answer Nico's question, yes we are going to read the book. I have called Nico here to provide any needed insight with the god's intentions as he is the Ambassador of Pluto. This letter and book were sent by Phoebus Apollo. We have no choice but to follow our instructions and read and finish the book. Not to mention it might lead or give us clues as to where…"

Everyone knew what the Praetor was going to say, and some gave out sympathetic looks while others, including a skinny blonde, rolled their eyes and whispered amongst themselves.

"This book", Reyna began again with a voice that sounded like she was holding back tears, which was very un-Reyna like, "Might lead us to the disappearance of Jason".

Cue the sympathetic looks and eye rolling.

"Let's just read the book.", called out Octavian, tired of the delay and weakness in Reyna. "I have places to be, prophecies to behold."

Everyone voiced their agreement, and Reyna nodded and cautiously began opening up the book, _Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Titan's Curse._

"I'll start the reading," Reyna said. "Chapter One…"

 **A/N: And that's Chapter Two, next chapter will come sometime next week, but definitely before Sunday because I have exams this upcoming week. Any constructive criticism is appreciated and reviews are welcomed!**


	3. Not Everyone is What You Expect

**-A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I had just finished exams and had to move everything out of my dorm and travel back home and unpack. It was hella stressful but I promise I'll update sooner!-**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't in any way, shape, or form, own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

Reyna opened the book to the first page and began reading,

 **My Rescue Operation Goes Very Wrong**

Reyna frowned and said, "Based on the title of the chapter as well as the book, I'm guessing a lot of things go wrong since Percy in the story is probably a demigod."

Everyone nodded their agreement. Reyna on the other hand, knew first-hand what happens when someone named Percy Jackson shows up.

 **The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school. We picked up my friends Annabeth and Thalia on the way.**

"So his mom is mortal AND she knows about Percy's demigod life?!" one demigod shouted out.

All the half-bloods in the room were shocked at this. Most of their mortal parents were either dead or had cast them out from their homes thinking they were freaks.

 **It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Annabeth, Thalia, and I hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much. Except for my mom. She talks** _ **more**_ **when she's nervous.**

"Is talking more when you're nervous a good thing or bad thing?" Hazel whispered to Frank.

Frank in response furrowed his eyebrows and after thinking about it he replied, "I guess it really depends on the situation."

 **By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about me.**

The demigods chuckled at this.

Nico, who had been sitting in the corner, was starting to have the feeling that he had heard the name of Westover Hall before.

 **Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."**

 **Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.**

Nico frowned to himself, thinking, _I've definitely heard of this place before._

 **"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" my mother asked.**

 **"No, thanks, Mom," I said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."**

 **"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."**

 **I hoped I wasn't blushing. It was bad enough I had to depend on my mom to drive me to my battles.**

"Aww, the poor little baby boy has to rely on his mommy," snickered Octavian. "I'll bet this guy only has a book about him because he was the most pitiful and therefore somewhat entertaining."

The demigods rolled their eyes, with one calling out, "Well why does Lord Apollo think it's so important to read his story?" That shut Octavian up.

 **"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep him out of trouble."**

 **My mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps me from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.**

Reyna smirked slightly, remembering how the blonde rescued Percy when he was a helpless guinea pig.

 **"All right, dears," my mom said. "Do you have everything you need?" "Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."  
"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"  
"Mom—"**

 **"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"**

"She seems so involved with demigod business." A surprised demigod said.

 **"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."**

 **She looked a little hurt, and I was sorry about that, but I was ready to be out of that car. If my mom told one more story about how cute I looked in the bathtub when I was three years old, I was going to burrow into the snow and freeze myself to death.**

The Romans snickered at that picture, meanwhile, Nico was silently gushing at the thought of a baby Percy.

 **Annabeth and Thalia followed me outside. The wind blew straight through my coat like ice daggers.**

 **Once my mother's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."**

 **"She's pretty okay," I admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"**

 **As soon as I said it, I wished I hadn't. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave me now was a perfect evil "ten."**

Everyone in the room shuddered at the vivid description.

 **"If that was any of your business, Percy—"**

 **"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."**

 **Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."**

 **I stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good," I guessed.**

 **The oak doors groaned open, and the three of us stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.**

 **All I could say was, "Whoa."**

 **The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, I knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.**

"Woah." said most of the Mars kids.

 _No, no, no. This is THAT adventure_. Nico thought to himself, dread suddenly seeping in. He knew he was gonna be mentioned and there would be serious interrogation.

 **My hand went to my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide. I could already sense something wrong in this place. Something dangerous. Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet, her favorite magic item. I knew we were thinking the same thing. A fight was coming.**

"A lethal pen? There's no way in Pluto that the something that mortal would ever be lethal." Octavian sneered.

Everyone agreed, except for Reyna and Nico, who were both recalling the havoc that "pen" has created.

 **Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—" The doors slammed shut behind us.  
"Oo-kay," I mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."**

 **I could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music.**

 **We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. We hadn't gone very far when I heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us.**

"That was stupid of them, they should at least try and blend in with the other students," Hazel whispered to Frank. He slowly nodded.

 **"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"**

 **"Um..." I realized I hadn't planned for this. I'd been so focused on getting to Grover and finding out what was wrong, I hadn't considered that someone might question three kids sneaking into the school at night. We hadn't talked at all in the car about how we would get inside. I said, "Ma'am, we're just—"**

 **"Ha!" the man snapped, which made me jump. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be** _ **eee-jected**_ **!"**

 **He had an accent—French, maybe. He pronounced his** _ **J**_ **like in** _ **Jacques**_ **, He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors—one brown, one blue—like an alley cat's.**

 **I figured he was about to toss us into the snow, but then Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird.**

 **She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a gust of wind ripple out from her hand, across the room. It washed over all of us, making the banners rustle on the walls.**

 **"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," Thalia said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth and Percy. We're in the eighth grade."**

Immediately, Octavian's eyes bulged out of its sockets and shouted, "A Greek trick! They're able to manipulate the veil that divides the mortal and godly realms!"

He turned slowly around the room, with eyes all on him.

"A Greek could be hiding in this very room, as we read this book. A spy!"

 **The male teacher narrowed his two-colored eyes. I didn't know what Thalia was thinking. Now we'd probably get punished for lying** _ **and**_ **thrown into the snow. But the man seemed to be hesitating.**

"Bet you ten denarii that he's a monster." one blonde son of Mercury said to a brunette.

'You're on."

 **He looked at his colleague. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"  
Despite the danger we were in, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. A teacher named** _ **Got Chalk**_ **? He had to be kidding.**

Everyone snickered, with one calling out, "I have a lethal ballpoint pen!"

 **The woman blinked like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I... yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at us. "Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"**

 **Before we could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. "You made it! You—"**

 **He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"**

 **"What** _ **is**_ **it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."**

 **Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made... the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"**

Reyna's dogs growled lowly at this, and everyone groaned at Grover's pitiful excuse. It was terribly obvious that he was lying.

 **Dr. Thorn glared at us. I decided one of his eyes had to be fake. The brown one? The blue one? He looked like he wanted to pitch us off the castle's highest tower, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"**

 **Grover hustled us down the hall in the direction of the music.**

 **I could feel the teachers' eyes on my back, but I walked closely to Thalia and asked in a low voice, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"**

 **"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"**

 **An uncomfortable lump formed in my throat. Chiron was our head trainer at camp, but he'd never shown me anything like that. Why had he shown Thalia and not me?**

Reyna looked up from the book confused. "Chiron? As in the legendary centaur who trained heroes? He trains Greeks?"

Everyone was shocked at this. Why would he choose to train them?

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking. "He probably doesn't even know of our existence."

Nico began to sweat nervously.

 **"That was close!" Grover said. "Thank the gods you got here!"**

 **Annabeth and Thalia both hugged Grover. I gave him a big high five.**

 **It was good to see him after so many months. He'd gotten a little taller and had sprouted a few more whiskers, but otherwise he looked like he always did when he passed for human— a red cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that took me a few seconds to read. It said WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. I wasn't sure whether that was, like, Grover's rank or maybe just the school motto.**

"So the Greeks use _Fauns_ as helpers. They can't even rely on each other! How pitiful." Octavian snorted.

The Romans snickered and shook their heads, while Hazel said to Frank, "I think it's awesome that they give them jobs and are friends with them." He agreed.

 **"So what's the emergency?" I asked.  
Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."  
"Two half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed. "Here?" Grover nodded.**

 **Finding one half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. We needed all the new fighters we could find. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.**

"Losing campers? The Greeks must be so weak that they can't even protect each other! Why are we even wasting our time with this Greek filled book?" Octavian sneered.

"Because Lord Apollo has given us very specific instructions to do so and how detrimental it would be if we didn't follow his command." Reyna retaliated, effectively shutting Octavian up.

 **"A brother and a sister," he said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."**

 **"Monsters?"**

 **One." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"**

 **Grover looked at Thalia desperately. I tried not to feel upset by that. Used to be, Grover looked to me for answers, but Thalia had seniority. Not just because her dad was Zeus. Thalia had more experience than any of us with fending off monsters in the real world.**

Everyone's eyes bugged out. "Another child of Jupiter? What if Jason knew about her and decided to find her?" a demigod shouted out.

Reyna stared at the book in shock. _Jason has a sister? I have to find her._

 **"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"**

 **Grover nodded.**

 **"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster?"**

 **"Oh," Grover said and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."**

"Called it!" the blonde son laughed. With a groan, the brunette handed over his money.

 **Weird thing about military schools: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. I guess it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.**

 **There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like torture devices. Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face. Some of the older guys looked more like me—uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. Of course, in my case, it was true...**

"Yeah, fight with that 'Lethal Ballpoint Pen' of yours." Octavian snickered.

 **"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."**

The whole room froze and turned toward the shadowy corner.

Octavian stood up and pointed directly at him. "Detain him for further interrogation."

Nico stood up, heart beating fast, looking around. He saw Hazel's face full of shock, and Reyna's whose was full of confusion and conflict of what to do.

Not realizing what was happening, he was promptly lifted off the ground and placed in heavy Imperial Gold handcuffs and was shuffled off towards the holding cells.

 **-A/N: What do you guys want me to do with Nico? I have some ideas in mind but feel free to leave me some suggestions in the reviews.-**

"I KNEW IT!" Octavian yelled. "I knew there was something suspicious about him! Showing up randomly, claiming to be an ambassador of Pluto. He was just a dirty Greek spy this entire time!"

Hazel sat in shock. She knew her brother was different from the Romans but to be a Greek? She felt betrayed, thinking how Nico never trusted her to even tell her about where he came from. She looked at Reyna, who, as usual, sat there with an unreadable face.

 **The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of trading cards. His sister seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.**

 **Annabeth said, "Do they... I mean, have you told them?"**

 **Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."**

 **He looked at me, and I nodded. I'd never really understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, but I knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.**

 **"So let's grab them and get out of here," I said.**

 **I started forward, but Thalia put her hand on my shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction. His blue eye seemed to glow.**

"He knows." Whispered a sleepy son of Somnus who hasn't witnessed the massive revelation.

 **Judging from his expression, I guessed Thorn hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who we were. He was just waiting to see why we were here.**

"Smart. It's a safe strategy."

 **"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."**

 **"How?"**

 **"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."**

"Dancing?" Octavian asked.

Reyna smirked to herself as she read the next line.

 **"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.**

His eyes widened. "I can't be thinking like a Greek!" he cried out. Hazel shook her head at his actions.

 **Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"**

 **Grover looked hurt. "I did."  
"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?" "Green who?"  
"Never mind. Let's dance."  
"But I can't dance!"  
"You can if I'm leading," Thalia said. "Come on, goat boy."  
Grover yelped as Thalia grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor.  
Annabeth smiled.**

 **"What?" I asked.**

 **"Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."**

"Have Thalia back? So what, did she disappear or turn into a tree or something?" Frank questioned. No one had a good answer.

 **Annabeth had grown taller than me since last summer, which I found kind of disturbing. She used to wear no jewelry except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older, for some reason.**

Everyone scowled at that. Children of maiden goddesses were unheard of, and those that existed were ousted and treated rudely.

"I guess their Greek goddesses aren't as strict as ours."

 **"So..." I tried to think of something to say.** _ **Act natural**_ **, Thalia had told us. When you're a half-blood on a dangerous mission, what the heck is natural? "Um, design any good buildings lately?"**

 **Annabeth's eyes lit up, the way they always did when she talked about architecture. "Oh my gods, Percy. At my new school, I get to take 3-D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program..."**

"That's definitely one way to start a conversation with a girl."

"Well, it's definitely working."

 **The truth was I was kind of disappointed to hear that she liked her new school so much. It was the first time she'd gone to school in New York. I'd been hoping to see her more often. It was a boarding school in Brooklyn, and she and Thalia were both attending, close enough to Camp Half-Blood that Chiron could help if they got in any trouble. Because it was an all-girls school, and I was going to MS-54 in Manhattan, I hardly ever saw them.**

"So the Greeks are stationed in New York. Interesting…" Octavian muttered to himself.

 **"Hey!" Thalia called to us. She was slow dancing with Grover, who was tripping all over himself, kicking Thalia in the shins, and looking like he wanted to die. At least his feet were fake. Unlike me, he had an excuse for being clumsy.**

 **"Dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered. "You look stupid just standing there."  
I looked nervously at Annabeth, then at the groups of girls who were roaming the gym. "Well?" Annabeth said.  
"Um, who should I ask?"**

Everyone facepalmed at this.

"Obviously you should ask the girl you know who is right in front of you! Geez, how oblivious can this person be?" Gwen shouted.

 **She punched me in the gut. "** _ **Me**_ **, Seaweed Brain."  
"Oh. Oh, right."**

 **So we went onto the dance floor, and I looked over to see how Thalia and Grover were doing things. I put one hand on Annabeth's hip, and she clasped my other hand like she was about to judo throw me.**

 **"I'm not going to bite," she told me. "Honestly, Percy. Don't you guys have dances at your school?"**

"Yeah, but who honestly dances at those? It's mostly shuffling back and forth with that occasional throwback song everyone knows."

 **I didn't answer. The truth was we did. But I'd never, like, actually** _ **danced**_ **at one. I was usually one of the guys playing basketball in the corner.**

The demigods snickered. "Why would he even go to one then? It's just a waste of time." Someone shouted out laughing.

 **We shuffled around for a few minutes. I tried to concentrate on little things, like the crepe-paper streamers and the punch bowl—anything but the fact that Annabeth was taller than me, and my hands were sweaty and probably gross, and I kept stepping on her toes.**

"Sounds like a bad time," Gwen said.

 **"What were you saying earlier?" I asked. "Are you having trouble at school or something?"**

 **She pursed her lips. "It's not that. It's my dad."**

 **"Uh-oh." I knew Annabeth had a rocky relationship with her father. "I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?"**

"I guess Percy's mom must be pretty unique because she actually cares for her demigod son," Frank whispered to Hazel.

 **Annabeth sighed. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War I book. In** _ **San Francisco**_ **!'**

 **She said this the same way she might say** _ **Fields of Punishment**_ **or** _ **Hades's gym shorts**_ **.**

 **"So he wants you to move out there with him?" I asked.**

 **"To the other side of the country," she said miserably. "And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that."**

Octavian scrunched his eyebrows together. "What? Why not?" he asked indignantly.

Reyna grinned to herself, reading the following line,

 **"What? Why not?"**

"Not again!" he cried out.

 **Annabeth rolled her eyes. Maybe she thought I was kidding. "You know. It's right** _ **there**_ **!'  
"Oh," I said. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I didn't want to sound stupid.**

"She must know that San Francisco is basically Roman territory," Reyna said.

 **"So... you'll go back to living at camp or what?"  
"It's more serious than that, Percy. I... I probably should tell you something." Suddenly she froze. "They're gone."  
"What?"**

 **I followed her gaze. The bleachers. The two half-blood kids, Bianca and Nico, were no longer there. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight.**

"Well, they must still be alive, especially since Nico was here." Dakota drunkenly said.

Everyone agreed, but Hazel frowned, knowing that Bianca had died. Would she find out what had happened through this book?

 **"We have to get Thalia and Grover!" Annabeth looked around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!"**

 **She ran through the crowd. I was about to follow when a mob of girls got in my way. I maneuvered around them to avoid getting the ribbon-and-lipstick treatment, and by the time I was free, Annabeth had disappeared. I turned a full circle, looking for her or Thalia and Grover. Instead, I saw something that chilled my blood.**

 **About fifty feet away, lying on the gym floor, was a floppy green cap just like the one Bianca di Angelo had been wearing. Near it were a few scattered trading cards. Then I caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, steering the di Angelo kids by the scruffs of their necks, like kittens.**

"Small then, small now," Hazel said to Frank.

 **I still couldn't see Annabeth, but I knew she'd be heading the other way, looking for Thalia and Grover.**

 **I almost ran after her, and then I thought,** _ **Wait**_ **.**

 **I remembered what Thalia had said to me in the entry hall, looking at me all puzzled when I asked about the finger-snap trick:** _ **Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet**_ **? I thought about the way Grover had turned to her, expecting her to save the day.**

 **Not that I resented Thalia. She was cool. It wasn't her fault her dad was Zeus and she got all the attention... Still, I didn't need to run after her to solve every problem. Besides, there wasn't time. The di Angelos were in danger. They might be long gone by the time I found my friends. I knew monsters. I could handle this myself.**

Frank frowned. "That's a terrible plan! He has two demigods captive and has free reign to do whatever he wants to them. He could get them killed!"

 **I took Riptide out of my pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.**

"Oh no, here comes the 'lethal ballpoint pen.'" Octavian laughed.

 **The door led into a dark hallway. I heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. I uncapped Riptide.**

 **The pen grew in my hands until I held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers.**

"Oh."

 **I jogged down the corridor, but when I got to the other end, no one was there. I opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. I was completely turned around. I didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the di Angelo kids. They stood frozen in horror, staring right at me.**

 **I advanced slowly, lowering the tip of my sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."**

 **They didn't answer. Their eyes were full of fear. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thorn? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated Celestial Bronze weapons.**

"Celestial Bronze? That's extremely rare, how'd he get his hands on that kind of material?" Hazel questioned.

"Maybe it's more common on the East Coast than the West Coast?" a demigod tried to answer. Everyone thought that was reasonable.

 **"My name's Percy," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."**

 **Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did I realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of me. She was trying to warn me.**

 **I whirled around and something went** _ **WHI1ISH**_ **! Pain exploded in my shoulder. A force like a huge hand yanked me backward and slammed me to the wall.**

"I told you it was a stupid plan," Frank said to Hazel. She had to agree, it was pretty dumb.

 **I slashed with my sword but there was nothing to hit.**

 **A cold laugh echoed through the hall.**

 **"Yes, Perseus** _ **Jackson"**_ **Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the** _ **J**_ **in my last name. "I know who you are."**

"He must be pretty well-known then."

 **I tried to free my shoulder. My coat and shirt were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of my shoulder as it passed through my clothes, and the cut burned. I'd felt something like this before. Poison.**

 **I forced myself to concentrate. I would** _ **not**_ **pass out.**

"You're a person with ADHD. How could you concentrate?"

 **A dark silhouette now moved toward us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.**

 **"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."**

 **I tried to swing my sword again, but he was just out of reach.**

 _ **WHIIIISH! A**_ **second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.**

Reyna paused, looking up from the book. "A manticore, a monster banished to Persia by the gods and it somehow made its way to America?"

 **Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn impaled itself in the stone wall, half an inch from her face.**

 **"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."**

Reyna sighed and looked up from the book cracking her neck. "That's it. Anyone else wants to read next?" 

**-A/N: That's it! Next chapter will come out sometime next week. Reviews are really appreciated and they keep me motivated! Don't forget to give any ideas on what I should do with Nico's imprisonment.-**


	4. Unfair Treatment?

**-A/N- HAHAHA! Y'all thought this story was dead well you thought wrong! I actually haven't been busy or anything, I've just been playing Brawlhalla WAY too much. If anyone else plays hmu sometime, and also please read the A/N at the end of the story, it's important to the future of this story. Sorry for the super long delay and here's the next chapter.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not in any way, shape, or form own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any of the characters. ALL RIGHTS GO TO RICK RIORDAN.**

"I-I'll read if that's alright," said Frank, awkwardly in between standing up and crouching.

"Go right ahead," Reyna responded, holding the book towards him as he clumsily scampered down the steps.

"Alright," Frank started, " **The Vice Principal Gets a Rocket Launcher"**

"Woo! Finally, some actual violence!" cheered the Mars and Bellona kids.

The corner of Frank's mouth twitched, in his head, he was thanking the gods above that he wasn't associated with those people.

 **I didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast.**

 **Maybe I could defend myself if I could get my shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of my wrist-watch. But defending the di Angelo kids was another matter. I needed help, and there was only one way I could think to get it.**

Reyna frowned, not recalling a shield or watch when Percy and Annabeth had stumbled upon Circe's island.

 **I closed my eyes.**

 **"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"**

 **I opened my eyes and kept shuffling forward. "It's my shoulder," I lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns."**

 **"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"**

 **Thorn herded us outside, and I tried to concentrate. I pictured Grover's face. I focused on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between us. He'd sent me visions in my dreams to let me know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, we were still linked, but I'd never tried to contact Grover before. I didn't even know if it would work while Grover was awake.**

"Oh, how ridiculous! Haven't the Greeks figured that fauns are weak and helpless? Having an empathy link with one would turn him into a vegetable when he dies!" Octavian shook his head at the stupidity he was hearing. "I can't believe Lord Apollo is making us read about such an ignorant demigod, a Greek at that!"

Frank frowned, thinking over the situation before responding with, "Well it sounds like Percy and Grover are really good friends and isn't it possible to sever the empathy link face-to-face? I think Percy is keeping the link in case Grover is ever in danger again."

Octavian snorted at his response but didn't reply.

 _ **Hey, Grover**_ **! I thought.** _ **Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help**_ **!**

"Very eloquent."

 **Thorn inarched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a Percysicle.**

 **"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."**

 **"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"**

 **"Silence, you insufferable girl!"**

 **"Don't talk to my sister that way.'" Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.**

Hazel thought to herself, _So this is the sister Nico originally wanted to take back. The one he grew up with._

She looked down at Frank, who had taken a second to glance up at her with a question in his eyes, most likely asking, _Did you know Nico had another sister?_

Hazel nodded.

 **Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but I forced myself to keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive. Meanwhile, I projected my thoughts like crazy—anything to get Grover's attention:** _ **Grover! Apples! Tin cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring some heavily armed friends**_ **!**

 **"Halt," Thorn said.**

 **The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I** _ **sensed**_ **the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness.**

"How do you sense the sea? Is he the son of Neptune?" Gwen asked.

Hazel's memory of her prophecy, _A descendant of Neptune would wash away your curse_ , rang through her head, suddenly jolting senses. _Is Percy the one in the prophecy? But he's Greek and Neptune is a Roman god…_

"If it's true that this Percy is a son of Neptune," mused Octavian, "that would mean that the Greeks would have at least two children of the three major gods. I'll have to personally interrogate di Angelo myself to pull out the truth."

 **Dr. Thorn pushed us toward the edge. I stumbled, and Bianca caught me. "Thanks," I murmured.  
"What** _ **is**_ **he?" she whispered. "How do we fight him?"  
"I... I'm working on it."**

 **"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. He was fiddling with something—a little metal toy soldier of some kind.**

 _He'll be terrified when I'm through with him._ Octavian thought to himself, fiddling with his sacrificial knife.

 **"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"**

 **We turned.**

 **Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first, I thought it was a switchblade, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."**

"Monsters using mortal technology? I've never heard of anything like that before." Dakota said.

"I believe only monsters that have features identical to mortals are able to use mortal technology without drawing suspicion. Because they have some mortal features, the mist would disguise them as a human and not as an animal and so it won't look suspicious when they use a phone." Reyna answered.

 **There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy—a monster using a mobile phone.**

 **I glanced behind me, wondering how far the drop was.**

 **Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon.** _ **Jump! There**_ **is the sea. Save yourself."**

The room went silent, or just stiller than it had been before.

Hazel's mind was bursting at this confirmation and how this could break her curse. All she would have to do was somehow meet this Percy Jackson and, wash her in water? Definitely something with his water powers.

Octavian with shaking with visible anger as he shouted out, "Do the gods give no power to us? We have lost our Praetor, a son of Jupiter, and the gods haven't even given us any information on his whereabouts! And now we've discovered that we have had a Greek spy among us! What do the Greeks have that make them so much more important than us Romans?"

The Romans muttered amongst themselves, seeing the logic and reasoning in Octavian's words. Reyna too seemed troubled by his words.

 **"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered. "I'll explain later," I said.  
"You do have a plan, right?"  
** _ **Grover**_ **! I thought desperately.** _ **Come to me**_ **!**

 **Maybe I could get both the di Angelos to jump with me into the ocean. If we survived the fall, I could use the water to protect us. I'd done things like that before. If my dad was in a good mood and listening, he might help. Maybe.**

Octavian narrowed his eyes. "The gods aren't supposed to interfere with demigod and mortal matters. These Greek gods must've overpowered their Roman aspects to the point where they have free reign."

 **"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said as if reading my thoughts. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"**

 **A flicker of movement behind him and another missile whistled so close to me that it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.**

The blonde Mercury kid, Billy, started to ask the Trivia children if they had a spell that would allow him to grow a catapult tail.

"Why would you even need one?" they asked.

"Oh, no reason! Totally won't use the tail to launch multiple creampies on the Ceres temple, not at all…" Billy said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

"We'll consider it, for a price."

 **"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead."**

 **"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."**

 **"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."**

Whispers went around the room, wondering who exactly this "employer" was. It might've been one of the Titans, considering that they had fought Krios last summer.

 **"Luke," I said. "You work for Luke."**

Everyone was confused. Luke? It was a mortal name, so this person must've wielded enough power or authority to be able to control a monster like Dr. Thorn. But the thought was confusing, a mortal commanding a monster?

 **Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when I said the name of my old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill me several times. "You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."**

 **"The General?" I asked. Then I realized I'd said it with a French accent. "I mean... who's the General?"**

 **Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."**

 **I turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer.**

The story was getting weirder and weirder. Unless whoever was piloting the helicopter was sided with the monsters, that massive piece of technology should attract tens of hundreds of monsters.

Frank thought to himself for awhile then said, "There has to be regular mortals flying the helicopter, if it were demigods it would be too risky and monsters would have no idea how to fly it."

Everyone nodded their agreement, not knowing any other reasonable answer.

 **"Where are you taking us?" Nico said.**

 **"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."**

 **"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"**

"Nico seems a lot more talkative when he was younger than he is now," Hazel noted.

 _He'll definitely be talking a lot more when I'm done with him._ Octavian thought to himself, twirling his sacrificial knife.

 **"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well... there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."**

"The Great what?" Octavian asked.

Frank snickered to himself as his eyes jumped to the next line.

 **"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while I tried to figure out a plan.**

Octavian passed out after repeating what a Greek had said for the third time.

The crowd of demigods dissolved into laughter at the scene.

 **"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"**

 **"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."**

"I wish he was," muttered Hazel.

 **"We have to jump off the cliff," I told her quietly. "Into the sea."**

 **"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."**

 **I never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into me.**

 **Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she plowed into the di Angelos and me, knocking us to the ground. For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads. This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.**

 **If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modeled after one her dad Zeus uses—also called Aegis—a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa molded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it.**

Everyone, even Reyna, who was one of the most stoic demigods Frank has ever known, winced at the image in their head.

"She must be able to win every fight she gets into with that kind of weapon," Reyna remarked.

 **Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.**

 **Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"**

 **I thought Dr. Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet.**

 **The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind me, but I didn't dare look.**

 **Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Thalia, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail—a leathery, scorpionlike tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. The missiles deflected off Aegis, but the force of their impact knocked Thalia down.**

 **Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.**

 **Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.**

Everyone held in their breath without noticing, awaiting to see if they would win or not, not realizing that Nico was alize.

 **"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.**

 **"Who** _ **are**_ **you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is** _ **that**_ **?"**

 **"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"**

Many demigods blinked their eyes, before bursting out into nerd mode.

"Not anymore! They buffed him and now he has six thousand attack power and plus nine to saving throws!"

 **I didn't know what he was talking about, but I didn't have time to worry about it. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned toward us with a snarl.**

 **"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, I remembered my own shield. I hit my wristwatch, and metal plating spiraled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal. The beautiful shield, a gift from my brother, was badly damaged. I wasn't sure it would even stop a second volley.**

"Everything is fixable, with the right tools," a Vulcan kid said.

Reyna nodded, remembering all the times her dogs had gotten terribly damaged in battle.

 **I heard a** _ **thwack**_ **and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud.**

 **"Yield!" the monster roared.**

 **"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster, and for a second, I thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction.**

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation, some biting their nails.

 **"No!" I ran out to help her. I parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest. I raised my shield over us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.**

The nail biters let out a breath of relief.

 **Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."  
We were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. We had no chance. Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.**

Reyna furrowed her eyebrows, recalling the textbooks about the gods' and goddess' symbols that represented them in the mortal world.

Coming to the realization of what the horn represented, Reyna murmured, "Diana? But she's an immortal, I didn't think they were interfering with the Greek affairs. There's no way it could be her."

 **The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.**

 **"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"**

 **His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.**

 **He staggered backward, wailing in agony.**

Reyna's face had a mixture of relief and confusion at the situation.

 **"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.**

"It's the Hunters of Artemis!" an excited Apollo kid cried out. "I have a sister who's part of that group!"

No one paid any attention to the kid, their thoughts on why Artemis and her hunters were helping these Greek demigods when they've never even seen a glimpse of them.

 **The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. I tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged my attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside.**

 **Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.**

 **"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.**

"She must've encountered the Hunters before if she has that kind of reaction!" Octavian snarled.

The Romans started talking with each other, disappointed that they weren't getting the same attention as their East Coast counterparts.

 **Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful." I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant.**

 **One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"**

 **I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.**

 **The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."**

"That's what we all thought!" a squeaky Mars kid yelled. "It's not fair!"

 **"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."**

Everyone was silent, it was true that hunting was Artemis's spheres of influence.

Some, like a certain skinny blonde legacy, were infuriated that they couldn't find a reliable comeback to the book's statement.

 **The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"**

 **He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.**

 **"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.**

 **"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"**

 **But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.**

"She's brave." One demigod remarked.

"No, she's stupid," Reyna objected. "The Hunters probably had a clear shot of the manticore and she interrupted them."

 **"Fire!" Zoe ordered. "No!" I screamed.**

 **But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"**

 **And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.**

"See? If she hadn't interfered with the Hunters she would be perfectly fine." Reyna said in a clear display of disappointment.

 **"Annabeth!" I yelled.  
I started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a** _ **snap-snap- snap**_ **from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.  
Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.**

 **"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."**

 **She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.**

 **The Hunters advanced on us.**

 **The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.**

 **"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."**

 **Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."**

 **"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."**

 **"Annabeth!" I yelled. "You have to let us save her!"**

 **The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."**

 **I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of the girls held me down.**

 **"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.**

 **"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?"**

Octavian snorted at this, as did the majority of the demigods in the room.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Talking to the maidens of Artemis like that."

 **Zoe stepped forward as if to smack me.**

 **"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."**

 **The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."**

Frank slowly stretched his numb legs and looked up. "That's the end of the chapter. We should come back tomorrow morning because it's getting pretty late."

He looked towards Reyna, who simply gave a small nod, and slowly, everyone started to stand up and leave, heading back towards their awaiting beds.

Octavian on the other hand, grinned to himself, palming the small sacrificial knife in his hand and stalking over to the holding cells, where a certain Italian demigod sat.

 **IMPORTANT: So I'm starting to get back into the swing of things with fanfiction and writing. So I was wondering if you guys would still like me to continue this story and finish it, OR start a new story featuring the character no one really talks about, Alabaster Torrington from The Son of Magic. And for info on updates on this story, updates will come around 1-2 weeks, maybe even less than 1 week if I don't get sucked into playing too much Brawlhalla. That's all I have to say. Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


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